


Take the food (and maybe my heart too)

by dreamiesficfest, injunoir



Series: Dear Dream - Dreamies Fic Fest (First Wave) [7]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, briefly mentioned markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 14:09:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18262907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamiesficfest/pseuds/dreamiesficfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/injunoir/pseuds/injunoir
Summary: Prompt Number: #DD065fake dating au: “i’m super popular and have a bunch of fangirls in school that line up to date me but i’m also a nice person and i don’t want to straight up tell them to back off so i tried to get you to be my pretend boyfriend but you refused until i bribed you with free food for three months and now we’re fake dating but i think i actually like you”





	Take the food (and maybe my heart too)

**Author's Note:**

> Notes from the Author: I tried my very best with this and I hope you enjoy!!!

 

lee jeno. one of the popular boys who had the prettiest most blinding eye smile. he's also a good boy, does his work, aids the teachers, volunteers. he's almost the golden boy of the school. it's impossible for everyone to  _ not _ like him. which is how he ends up standing across a chocolate haired boy in the library.

 

huang renjun. he's an average student, great grades, in the choir as well as top in his music class. he, too, did volunteer work as well as aiding teachers. though he was a tough cookie to crack, he was very considerate of others and their feelings. and if it weren't for the fact that he was asleep, he would have been staring back, in confusion, at the dark haired boy who was across from him in the library.

 

lee jeno was many things and he was good at many things. but one thing he wasn't good at, was saying no. because of the impossibility to dislike him, lots of people had crushes on him. ranging from girls to boys, lots of them would dream of dating the sweet boy of their school. every day there was someone new confessing or leaving him sweets in his locker. but lee jeno never had it in him to tell them to back off.

 

then he remembered a boy. a boy who had helped his best friend, mark lee, get together with his boyfriend, lee donghyuck. this boy was one of the few who kept to themselves. he happened to be an acquaintance of marks when he had asked the boy to help him get the attention of his crush at the time, the boy agreed but with a price. jeno still had no clue as to what he did to help mark because each time he asked his best friend, “it doesn't matter, all that's important is that I'm with hyuck now, why do you keep bugging me?”

 

huang renjun had the habit of falling asleep in the library quite often so that the librarian even kept his favorite spot reserved during lunch hour and during his free period. today was no different.

 

“excuse me?”

 

jeno muttered quietly but loud enough to be heard.

 

oh yeah, renjun is a deep sleeper.

 

jeno frowns, furrowing his brows, his head falling sideways as he looked at the boy who appeared (to him) to be ignoring him.

 

jeno wasn't oblivious, he would've noticed that renjun was sleeping and chosen a different time to talk. but renjun has a book open, elbows on each side with his hands on the sides of his head, covering his eyes from anyone who looked at him. so yeah, he seemed to be reading rather than sleeping. and it was only when renjun’s head moved to the side, elbow slipping, and his head almost hitting the table that jeno realized the boy had been asleep.

 

renjun opens his eyes a few seconds after that, his head feeling odd as he looked up at a boy with wide eyes and mouth open, arm reached out at him. renjun lifted his head and then noticed the hand that was holding the side of his head.

 

“I—” jeno pulled his hand back, “hi.”

 

renjun sleepily looked up at him, seeming slightly annoyed to have been woken up long before lunch ended.

 

“hm? why were you touching me?” renjun groaned, rubbing his tired eyes.

 

jeno fought back a smile from how adorable the boy looked in his sleepy state, “your head was about to hit the table so uh I put my hand so you wouldn't get hurt, I hadn't realized you'd been asleep.”

 

renjun muttered a small thanks, raising the sleeve of his slightly big, dark blue hoodie, revealing a watch.

 

“there's still time left, thanks for that but I'm going to go back to sleep.”

 

renjun was just about to get in a comfortable position when jeno whisper shouted a “wait!” renjun looks up at him in confusion before sighing, “what is it? do you need anything? I already told chenle I wasn't going to give the answers to the test.”

 

“what? what test? we have a test?”

 

renjun looks at him warily before motioning his hand at the chair in front of him, “sit down, your legs will get tired, what do you need jeno?”

 

jeno, with wide eyes, quickly scrambles to the seat, taking his bag off his shoulder and slumping forward, “you know my name?”

 

renjun lets out a small laugh, “everyone knows your name, lee jeno,”

 

_ unfortunately _ , jeno thinks to himself.

 

“what do you need?”

 

“Oh right,” jeno awkwardly laughs, “I need your help with something.”

 

renjun motions for him to continue, ruffling his dark hair.

 

“I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to be my fake boyfriend for a while.”

 

renjun’s hand stops moving, his droopy eyes were suddenly more awake. the boy sits up, no longer slumped on the wooden chair, “what.”

 

jeno winces slightly at the change of tone, already being used to the soft and playful tone, “just hear me out okay? you obviously know me, you probably also know about the many people who try to date me a—”

 

“are you trying to boast?” renjun cuts him off, a scowl beginning to form on his lips.

 

“No!” jeno shouts, receiving a harsh  _ ‘no shouting in the library mister jeno’ _ which led to a string of apologies spewing out of jeno until he turned back to Renjun, “no, look, I'm just trying to explain my  _ problem _ . I can't tell them to back off because I don't want to be rude, and I'm sure they're all starting to catch on to my lies and excuses. I need a way to get them to leave me alone and so I thought—”

 

“—that you could ask me for help,” renjun finishes with a sigh.

 

jeno nods quickly, “yes, mark hasn't told me anything but he said you helped him get donghyuck and I just thought maybe you'd help me get rid of the people for a little while…”

 

they sat in silence, Jeno's head hanging low while occasionally peaking at the dark haired boy. after a while, he realized the other had fallen asleep and he let out a small giggle. after a minute or so he sighed, checking the time, and got up. he took out a piece of paper and wrote his number on it, placing it on top of the book renjun had set aside.

 

“hmm sleep well Renjun, till next time then.”

  
  
  
  
  


jeno gets a text later that day while he was putting away books at the library.  _ my answer is no _ ,  was all it had said. he was confused until he remembered renjun.  _ renjun? wait please just think about it :( _  he sent. he then regretted it immensely because he felt like he sounded desperate. he gave himself a hit in the head, scolding himself and he received another text almost immediately, _  I can see you panicking, calm down. I know I helped mark and all, but fake dating? I feel like that's too much for me :// sorry bud, you may have to find someone else. _

 

jeno furrowed his brows,  _ see me? _

 

he peaked out of the aisle he was in and found renjun sitting on the desk he found him in last time, looking up and shrugging his shoulders before putting down his head to, what jeno assumed, sleep. he figured it was his free period before the end of the day and he had heard from Mark that he tends to sleep often and does so through his whole lunchtime and free period.

 

jeno sighs, going back to the cart filled with books and sorting them into the shelves. as he's doing so, a few whispers begin to get closer and closer until he can begin to hear the conversation.

 

“—he's super cute! I heard he doesn't date though which is a huge bummer.”

 

jeno raises his brow in curiosity but his mind is also telling him to get away because he'd heard these types of conversations about him before which often led to swarming. he decides to just continue what he's doing. once he finished with the aisle, he rolled the cart out and went to the next, stealing a glance at the sleeping Renjun before continuing to go to the next aisle. as he was about to put a book into the shelf, a hesitant hand taps his shoulder. he hums, turning around to see a boy with a bright smile.

 

jeno returns it in confusion, “hey can I help you?”

 

“my name is jaemin,” the boy says cheerfully, “I'm renjunnie’s best friend! he told me about your dilemma and request.”

 

jeno nervously laughs, “oh uh yeah, he said no so I'm gonna probably give up on that…”

 

“nonsense!” jaemin exclaims but quiet enough to not be scolded by the librarian, “I'll help you get him to say yes.”

 

jeno tilts his head in confusion, eyes darting to the sleeping boy and back to jaemin, “huh?”

 

“he loves food,” jaemin says as he gets a book from the cart and begins to help put them in the shelves, “he also loves to paint and draw, oh! and he loves to sleep as you can already tell, but food is a big yes.”

 

jeno chuckles, pushing in a book, “okay I'll keep that in mind but why are you helping me?”

 

jaemin sighs, “renjun’s parents keep bugging him about getting a boyfriend, he's always whining about it so this will get both his parents and him to shut up about it.”

 

jeno humms, “so you think this will benefit both of us.”

 

jaemin nods, a smile back on his face, “he's gonna disagree but bribe him with food. it always works.”

  
  
  
  
  


“you again,” a voice startles jeno, “I already said no to you jeno.”

 

renjun puts his bag on the chair before sitting on the one in front of jeno. the boy had decided to wait in renjun’s usual table to try one more time to get the boy to agree with him, remembering to bring up the food bribe jaemin told him to use.

 

“I know but I just wanted to try one last time.”

 

renjun sighs, ruffling his hair before giving jeno a stern look.

 

“jeno, I'm not going to be your fake boyfriend. I understand you're problem but you can easily just tell everyone to bug off. you can say it as nicely as possible if you're scared to hurt their feelings or something.”

 

jeno purses his lips, “I’ll...I’ll buy you food.”

 

renjun’s eyes glisten in interest as soon as the words left his mouth.

 

“food,” renjun repeats, looking as if he's thinking it over before letting out a huff, “did jaemin talk to you?”

 

jeno swallows the nerves, “three months. for three months I'll buy you any food you want. three whole months.”

 

the corner of renjun’s mouth twitches, “three months huh…and anything I want?”

 

jeno quickly nods with big eyes full of hope.

 

“what if I asked for beef or lobster?”

 

jeno's breath hitches slightly, “anything,” he breathes out, “anything you want.”

 

renjun smirks, “three months of free food.”

 

he extends his arm in front of him, jeno looking down at it dumbfoundedly before he realized what he wants. he extends his own arm and meets renjun’s halfway, shaking it.

 

“so, now that we're dating, I'm going to text you after school and, if you have no plans, I'll let you know where I am and you'll go meet me there so we can go to my house together. we have to know each other really well and get a story about how we began dating and such. now please, let me sleep I have about forty minutes left now.”

 

jeno nods quickly, standing up abruptly and quickly grabbing his backpack and hanging it over his shoulder. he stares are renjun for a bit before hesitantly wrapping his arms around him.

 

“what are you doing?”

 

“being your boyfriend,” jeno whispers.

 

before completely pulling away, jeno pecks renjun’s cheek and quickly leaves, not failing to hear the abrupt sound that left renjun’s mouth.

  
  
  
  
  


the next say the two show up together, hands holding and smiles on their faces. renjun, however, felt a bit uncomfortable from all the attention they were getting as soon as they got out of jeno's car. lots of boys and girls stopped and stared with open mouths, some even glaring at renjun or their conjoined hands.

 

”you okay?” jeno asks when he feels the boy tense up, he looks down at him in concern as they stop in front of his locker.

 

renjun sighs, leaning against the locker and slightly pouts, ”’m not used to the attention.”

 

jeno frowns, looking around and seeing all the people watching them and he puts on a smile, ”everyone, I understand you may be in a state of shock or surprise, but if you could please refrain from staring so much, it’s making him uncomfortable.”

 

lots of the students had immediately turned their attention to him as soon as he began speaking and quickly carried on with what they were doing once he finished. jeno smiled when he looks down at renjun,

 

”there, if anyone makes you uncomfortable or anything of that sort just tell me okay?”

 

renjun smiles and nods, the smile dropping and scowl forming when jeno ruffles his hair. he turns to his locker and begins to open it when the familiar voice of his best friend reaches his ears.

 

”there you are! I heard the news and  _ finally _ you guys are out!”

 

renjun heaves out a sigh, turning to jaemin, “you shouldn’t have done anything but now i get free food so i don't know whether to be mad at you or be thankful.”

 

jaemin rolls his eyes, putting his hand renjun’s shoulder, “of course you should be thankful! Anyways i gotta go, have a nice day boys!”

 

jeno waves at him and turns back to renjun, “okay physics first, you have your things?”

 

renjun nods, shutting his locker and letting jeno put his arm around him as they made their way to renjun’s class.

 

everything went smoothly after that, the two were pretty convincing boyfriends that jaemin had even said they could win oscars for their great acting.

 

_ (“i swear you guys would win best actors at like the oscars or something,” jaemin beamed, getting more ice cream into his spoon. _

 

_ a sound left jeno’s lips to which renjun turned to in confusion, “what's that?” _

 

_ “hmm?” jaemin hums as he licks his spoon. _

 

_ “what's an oscar?” _

 

_ “it's like an award show for actors and films in america, i only know about it because of my brother’s best friend, he was born in america.” _

 

_ “oh,” is all jeno says.) _

 

they sat together on the rare days renjun went to the cafeteria, jeno’s best friend mark and his boyfriend joining them as well. as for, pretty much every single day renjun would sleep in the library, jeno would sit beside him, renjun sometimes sleeping on his shoulder. other days, you'd find renjun with his head laying on jeno’s arm, jeno’s other arm around him, and jeno asleep as well, also laying on his own arm.

 

jeno, on the days they would sleep that way, has usually woken first, the first thing he sees being the boy sleeping soundly beside him. he would spend time admiring him, looking at every detail of his face including the way his parted lips would sometimes twitch. there was also the soft snores on rare occasions that would escape past renjun’s lips that left jeno a giggling mess.

 

during the times jeno would take renjun out to eat, he would usually let renjun eat and take from his plate just to watch him eat and be happy with the food. there were a few times that renjun would catch him and ask him about it but jeno always shook his head and told him to get back to eating and that “my money doesn't grow on trees, can't let it go to waste right?”

 

they're currently at a restaurant to eat meat, to which jeno immediately agreed once renjun pointed at the restaurant. jeno sips from his soda, eyes skimming through the menu as renjun bounces on his chair excitedly.

 

“aren't you happy,” jeno chuckles once he noticed.

 

renjun grins, “i am! haven't eaten meat in a really long time  _ and _ i heard this restaurant has 4 and half stars so the meat must be so good.”

 

jeno rolls his eyes playfully, “do you already know what you're getting?”

 

renjun nods, showing jeno before sighing, “hey jeno?”

 

jeno hums, “what is it?”

 

renjun bites his lip before looking up at the boy who was already looking at him, “are you sure it's okay to eat here? the prices are kinda expensive and i don't want you wasting your money on me even though you said you'd buy me food for three months. it's been a month and a half already and like i'm just worried you'll have money problems because of me.”

 

jeno’s eyes widen slightly at the boy's worry, slightly taken aback as he stares at him. renjun only pouts, lowering his gaze to the table.

 

“renjun,” jeno starts, clasping his hands together, “do you know what the main reason people want to date me is?”

 

renjun shakes his head, his expression making jeno scream on the inside from how adorable he looked, “because of your looks?”

 

jeno shakes his head, “money.”

 

“huh?”

 

jeno smiles, “the people at our school only pay attention to me because they know i have money. yeah, the looks are also there but that didn't beat the want for money. people have this image of their partner spoiling them, they want me to do the same.”

 

renjun frowns, “i’m sorry about that, i didn't know.”

 

jeno shakes his head, waving him off, “don't be, i‘m used to it. oh the waiter is coming, i'm gonna go to the restroom real quick, order the same for me please?”

 

renjun smiles and nods, “okay.”

 

when jeno returned, he found the boy with his head down and a chuckle escaped his lips as he neared the table.

 

“ah renjun, did you really sleep already?”

 

the chinese boy didn't budge when jeno spoke, nor did he budge when jeno sat down, rapping his knuckles against the table by his head. jeno internally squeals when renjun's nose scrunches and hair covers his sleeping face. jeno smiles softly, leaning forward and moving the boy’s hair out of his face delicately. he runs his hands through boy’s soft hair, his eyes trailing over the boys soft facial features. his gaze lands on his lips, his hand stopping, and he wills his all to look away and pull his hand back to his side.

 

he looks up and sees their water making his way to them and he gently pats the boys shoulder, then patting slightly rougher when he hadn't moved. renjun abruptly shoots up in his chair, eyes wide but filled with sleep as he stared at jeno.

 

“had to wake you,” jeno chuckles, motioning his head to the side just as the waiter arrived.

 

“ah thanks, sorry for falling asleep,” renjun embarrassingly covered his face.

 

“it's fine, i'm used to you sleeping anywhere and everywhere,” jeno grins as renjun rolls his eyes.

 

they both thank the waiter and begin to dig in, the two having short conversations as they ate, both boys occasionally sneaking glances at each other.

 

_ jeno didn't know, however, that renjun  _ **_was_ ** _  awake the whole time. _

  
  
  
  
  


jeno was in trouble. not in school or with his parents but rather he had a troubled mind. after he'd caught himself staring at renjun far too long than necessary; times he'd caught himself thinking of renjun at random times of the day; wondering if he was eating or sleeping; and he began to worry. he was worried that he was getting far too into the fake dating.

 

renjun noticed how distant he was getting. whenever they were together, the other would tense when he’d touch him or be near him. renjun, after the restaurant, had a slight idea as to why jeno was acting the way he was. which brought him to his own thinking on how he felt over jeno. after giving the boy some time of his own, he decided to finally confront him.

 

jeno, in thought, was mindlessly putting books into the shelf. unknown to him, renjun was on the other side of the same bookshelf, looking through the books as well as wondering when he should make his presence known.

 

“oh?” jeno says in surprise as he sees renjun's face after they both had coincidentally taken out the books that were back to back, “renjun?”

 

the older playfully rolls his eyes as he puts the book back, going around the shelf and standing in front of the boy who'd begun to start panicking.

 

“we need to talk,” the boy whispers, hesitating to put his hand over the other's.

 

jeno purses his lips before nodding, the two deciding to just sit on the carpeted floor they were standing on.

 

“are you okay?” renjun starts, looking at him in concern, “you've been out of it lately and i'm getting worried...did i do something wrong?”

 

“no, no, no, oh my god, no,” jeno immediately shakes his head, “you could never do anything wrong, it's only me. it's all me, i'm sorry you felt it was your fault…”

 

renjun smiles softly, taking jeno’s hand in his, noticing the younger’s breath hitch, “then tell me jeno, i'll help you with whatever is troubling you. i know this whole thing is just fake dating and stuff but you can trust in me with whatever you may need.”

 

“not this,” jeno shakes his head, “i can't share this with you.”

 

renjun sighs, “jeno, i won't judge you for anything. if you could just tell me or express it in a way that i would understand if you can't use your words, jeno let me in…”

 

the youngest frowns, looking down at their hands intertwined on renjun’s lap, “this is part of the problem,” he mumbles while raising their hands.

 

renjun bites back a smile, “you hold hands with anyone, is it a problem because it's me?”

 

jeno nods, “yeah.”

 

renjun lets out a chuckle, “jeno, if you're gonna say it, say it now because i'm kinda tired of waiting.”

 

jeno's head snaps up, “huh? say what? tired of waiting for what? ya, injun, don't tell me you like me.”

 

“eh? i don't know what you're saying now, i'm referring to whatever it is that is bothering you, it's been troubling you for a while and i'm kinda tired of waiting for you to tell me so just tell me now so i can help you—”

 

they were soft, jeno's lips, just as he'd imagined. just as he knew from the few kisses jeno gave him on his hand or cheek. he'd always wondered what it'd be like to properly kiss him on the lips. though, he hadn't expected the shy boy to be the one to kiss  _ him _ , or for it to have been as a form of shutting him up—which definitely worked pretty well.

 

as soon as renjun’s lids closed, the boy pulled away, the chinese immediately opening them again. the other flushed, an embarrassed smile on his lips,

 

“sorry, couldn't help it.”

 

renjun just stares in bewilderment before pulling him back in for a peck,

 

“do you know how long i've been restraining myself from kissing you?” renjun breathes out as a smile makes its way to his face.

 

jeno gapes, “do you know how long  _ I _  have been holding myself back?  _ god _  i have wanted to kiss you since the first time we fell asleep at that table of yours.”

 

they both stare at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles. the both grinned at each other once they calmed down, their conjoined hands tightening.

 

“hey,” renjun starts, “what do you say you become my real boyfriend, no food.”

 

jeno’s face begins to warm up as he nods, “yeah, i would like that,” he says softly, “but i will still get you food because that's what boyfriends do.”

 

“you're cute jeno, i really like you.”

 

“i really like you too renjun, but you're cuter.”

 

renjun playfully rolls his eyes at him and jeno just smiles that beautiful smile of his that has renjun swooning and wrapped around his finger. yeah, maybe they started out faking the chemistry and the bond, but then it became real and much more than they thought it would be. the fake became the real, and the two were happily together, not bothering to answer the many questions their friends had.

 

oh yeah and, you could say jeno was  _ really _  and  _ beyond  _ jealous to find out that renjun and mark had kissed in the plan to get donghyuck to finally date mark.

 

**Author's Note:**

> ah i hope enjoyed and that i did the prompt justice >< thank you for reading! i absolutely appreciate it so much !!!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/neofleur)


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